This thread discusses the Content article:
Time to retire
Chris Cannon is a perfect example of an autogogue. Whereas a demagogue abuses a public position by exploiting the ignorance of the general public, Chris Cannon exploits his own ignorance to get elected over and over again. I think he really believes he does good things for the people of Utah.
Some years ago, I attended a ceremony in honor of longtime family friend and neighbor, Howard Nielson, the previous representative for Utah's Third District. The purpose of the ceremony was to re-dedicate the US Post Office in downtown Provo and rename it in honor of Howard.
This was right in the middle of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, and Cannon's remarks, which were intended to honor Nielsen, implied that Nielson deserved the honor simply because he had always been faithful to his wife. In a speech that lasted some 10 or 15 minutes, virtually no other virtues or accomplishments were named. Instead, he hammered the same point home over and over and over again, making certain to gloat about his own supposedly glowing record of fidelity while he was at it.
At the time, I commented to several of my family members that, if that's all it takes to get a post office named after you, we'd better start figuring out how to build several hundred thousand more in the state of Utah.
Chris Cannon could be the poster child for what's wrong with democracy in America today. He has nothing to say, and he has done absolutely nothing to make either Utah or America a better place. He is a perfect example of how people just don't pay attention when they vote.
We desperately need to improve the quality of those who represent us in government. If you agree, I highly recommend that you check out vote-smart.org to see how you can contribute to this effort.
David Harris
